Youth gather in Ottawa for ceremony, not for protest

UOI OFFICES (Nipissing FN) June 29, 2017 – Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee says that he is supporting the youth in Ottawa who are conducting ceremony and are there for spiritual reasons.

“This is youth-driven,” says Madahbee. “These are grassroots people who are guided by traditional grandmothers. We are there to support the youth.”

Madahbee wants to stress that this is not a protest.

“They are praying about the murdered missing woman and girls and for the protection of water,” says Madahbee. “They are creating awareness that Canada150 is not our celebration. We have been here for thousands of years. We want a dialogue with Canada. The federal government needs to do better in the future on how we are treated.”

The Anishinabek Nation released a statement on Canada150 earlier this month.

The Anishinabek Nation established the Union of Ontario Indians as its secretariat in 1949. The UOI is a political advocate for 40 member communities across Ontario, representing approximately 60,000 people. The Union of Ontario Indians is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact.